


In Another Life

by amkchristian2225



Category: Dynasty (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:15:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29201952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amkchristian2225/pseuds/amkchristian2225
Summary: AU. What if Fallon and Culhane were coparents of their two year old daughter? Fallon/Liam, with mentions of past Fallon/Culhane.
Relationships: Fallon Carrington/Liam Ridley, Fallon Carrington/Michael Culhane, Kirby Anders/Adam Carrington, Steven Carrington/Sam "Sammy Jo" Jones
Comments: 3
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, everyone. This is my first work on AO3. I've posted many things on Fanfiction.Net, so feel free to go check those out. My username over there is amksschristian. I have no clue how long this fic will be, and updates probably won't be regular, but stick with me if you'd like. Anyway, I hope you enjoy :)

Chapter 1

A/N: What if Fallon and Culhane were coparents to their two year old daughter? Falliam, with mentions of past Falhane

"We'll be fine, Fallon. I promise. Go have fun on your date." Culhane assured the young mother, as he took their daughter in his arms.

"Please call me if something happens." Fallon pleaded, looking into his dark brown eyes, so he knew she was serious.

"I will." Fallon was going on a fourth date with a guy she really liked, but she hated leaving her daughter, even if it was with her father.

"Ok, I should probably go. I love you, baby." Fallon affirmed to her adorable two year old daughter.

"Love you, mama." The two year old reciprocated, putting her hand to her mouth and blowing a kiss. Fallon leaned in towards the pair and pressed a kiss to the young girl's cheek. "Bye, bye, mama."

"Bye, baby. I'll see you tomorrow." And with one last look, Fallon walked out of the apartment and closed the door behind her.

Fallon took a deep breath, calming herself, before she walked back out to her car and made her way to the fancy restaurant at which the date was set to take place.

"Hey, sorry I'm late." Fallon apologized, as she sat down across from her date.

"It's fine. I've only been waiting for a few minutes." Her date said, politely, taking a quick sip of his water.

Liam Ridley, 26, was nothing if not a gentleman. Always very polite, almost so much so that he was a bit of a pushover.

"So, how've you been? I know it's only been a week since our last date, but a lot can happen in a week."

"I've been great. This week, I pitched my new book to my publishing company. They agreed to publish it."

"Wow, that's really great. Congrats."

"Thanks. What about you? How was your week?"

"It was pretty uneventful. Filled with expense reports and board meetings, mostly." About a year ago, Fallon had been officially signed on as the COO of Carrington Atlantic. The position was supposed to be given to her bitch of a stepmother, but her death meant there was no longer anyone to fill the position. With Fallon's newfound position came a seat on the board and co-ownership of the company.

"You're a COO, right? What exactly does a COO of a Fortune 500 company do?"

"Well, a COO is a chief operating officer. I oversee the day-to-day stuff of the company. I also work a lot with the financials of the company, seeing as I am a majority owner, second to my father. I'm the big boss, with my only boss being my father, who's the CEO and head majority owner."

"How did you get to be the COO? Like, what did you used to do?"

"I was the head of the finance department. When my stepmother died a year ago, the COO position that was supposed to go to her went to me. My father didn't want to give me the position, but after I threatened to leave the company and start my own rival company, he agreed."

"How did your stepmom die?"

"There was fire in the stable house on my father's property. It was on the night of my brother's wedding. My stepmother got caught in the stable house and couldn't get out."

"I'm sorry. That really sucks."

"Oh, it's fine. Not that I wished death on her, but I never liked her. We weren't really that close."

"Are you close with your dad?"

"Sometimes. After Cristal died, we started getting closer."

"And your mom? Are you close with her?"

"She left when I was 15, so no."

"Oh, sorry." Liam regretted asking the question.

"It's fine. It is what it is. My parents got divorced and she bailed. I've made my peace with it. What about you? Are you close with your family?"

"Well, my dad died when I was 16. We were pretty close. My sister and I used to be close, but she went off to college right after my dad died, and we kind of lost touch. My mom lives in New York with her new husband, George. I go up a few times a year to see them and the rest of my family."

The rest of the date seemed to go off without a hitch. The conversation continued to flow, the dinner was amazing, and everything was almost perfect, until the very end.

"Do you wanna, maybe, come back to my place?" Liam suggested apprehensively.

"Um, I don't know." The last person Fallon had dated this seriously was Michael. She'd been on a few dates with a few guys, but things had never gone far enough where she was going over to their apartment.

"You don't have to. We can end the date here. It's just, I really like you. I would really like to keep the date going."

Fallon contemplated for a few moments before responding.

"Ok. Let's go."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I don't have anywhere else to be."

"Ok, great. I guess just follow me in your car."

The pair paid for their dinner and walked to their respective cars. Fallon followed Liam to his apartment, and prayed he was the good guy she believed him to be. She was going to tell him about her daughter, and all she could do is hope he wouldn't get scared and run.

Once they got to his apartment complex, they both got out of their cars and she followed him up to his apartment.

"We don't have to do anything if you don't want to. We can just watch a movie or talk." Much to Fallon's liking, Liam was still the good guy she believed him to be.

"Yeah, a movie sounds great."

"Cool."

Liam sat down on the couch and turned on the tv. He put his left arm up over the couch, as if giving Fallon the invitation to sit there. She accepted the wordless invitation and sat down next to Liam, their sides pressed together and her head on his shoulder.

"What do you wanna watch?" Liam asked, looking down towards Fallon.

"I don't really care."

"Ok. How about Titanic? It's a classic."

"Yeah, that's fine."

Liam started the movie, and for the first while, they simply watched the movie. About 30 minutes in, Liam decided to be bold and go in for a kiss. He figured the worst thing that could happen was she'd pull away and slap him. At least then he'd know to not be so stupid with the next girl.

Liam carefully leaned down, placing a sweet kiss on Fallon's lips. Fallon looked stunned at first, but reciprocated by deepening the kiss. Just as things were starting to ramp up, Fallon pulled away.

"Before this goes any further, there's something I need to tell you." Fallon confessed.

"Ok. What's wrong?" Liam asked, turning down the volume on the tv so they could talk.

"Nothing's wrong, but, um, I have a daughter."

"What?" Liam was shocked, to say the least.

"I have a two year old daughter with my ex."

"Ok, um, that's cool." Liam didn't know how to respond. He'd never dated anyone who had kids.

"I really like you, too, but I didn't want this to go any further without you knowing."

"Is her father still in the picture?"

"He is, yeah. She's actually with him tonight. We broke up officially a year ago, but things hadn't been good between us since before she was born."

"Is he comfortable with you dating other people?"

"It's been a year. He's fine with it. He wants me to be happy and he knows he can't make me happy anymore."

"I'm not gonna run, if that's what you're worried about. It's not like I'd be her dad. She has a dad. And I understand that if we do take this further, she'll be your main priority and I'm ok with that."

"So you want to keep doing whatever this is, even though I have a daughter."

"Yes, I do."

"Ok, good." Fallon let out a sigh of relief. That had gone better than she thought it would.

Fallon leaned in towards Liam and they continued what they'd started. They eventually moved to the bedroom, and before either of them knew it, they were having mind-blowingly good sex.

"So, what's your daughter's name?" Liam asked, as they cuddled together.

"Bellamy Morell Carrington Culhane. We call her Bell or Bella." Fallon answered.

"That's a long name. It seems like she's royalty or something."

"She is a little princess, but that's not why she has a long name. Bellamy was a name Michael and I stumbled upon a week before she was born. I don't even remember where we first heard it, but we both loved it. We didn't know if the baby was a boy or a girl, and we both agreed Bellamy was a gender neutral name. Morell is my middle name. We would've used Christopher if it was a boy, because that's Michael's middle name. Carrington isn't last name, and Culhane is Michael's."

"Well, I think her name is beautiful."

"Thank you." Fallon said, smiling up at Liam and placing a chaste kiss on his lips.

"Do you have pictures of her? I don't know if that's weird, but I'd love to be able to put a face with a name."

"It's not weird. I get that this is a lot to take in." Fallon turned on her phone and showed Liam her Lock Screen. There was a picture of Bellamy at her first birthday party. She had beautiful light blue eyes and light brown, curly hair. "This was at her first birthday. She looks a little bit different now."

"She definitely has your eyes."

"I'm not really sure how. Michael doesn't have anyone that we know of in his family with blue or green eyes."

"I don't know if this is too invasive, but why did you and him break up?"

"It's not too invasive. Bellamy was a surprise. I was on birth control, we used condoms; we were careful. When we found out I was pregnant, he freaked out and left for a month. When he came back, he said how sorry he was and how he knew he'd made many mistakes, but that he wanted to be in the baby's life. I let him back into my life, but things were tense all the time. After Bell was born, we agreed we'd try to make things work for her sake. Things were tolerable, at best, but miserable, at worst. After a pregnancy scare when Bell was eleven months old, we decided we would break up after her first birthday. That's exactly what we did. Two days after her birthday party, I moved all of my stuff out of his apartment and back into my father's house. I was planning to move out on my own, but after Cristal died, it just never seemed like a good time. Michael and I are friends and coparents and we work well as just friends and coparents. There was a time when I thought he and I would get married and have a million kids. We actually were engaged for a few months. Kids change things, and in my case, they helped me realize he wasn't my one."

"Is everything in your life straight out of a Hallmark movie?"

"Kinda. I mean, my father is a billionaire, owns and is the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. I'm the heiress of said billions and am a millionaire myself. I'm a now not-so-single mother of a beautiful mixed baby who will most likely be a model one day. My ex and I's coparenting skills are aspirational."

"So we're dating?"

"That's what you got from that? Really?"

Liam cracked a smile that melted Fallon's heart.

"I just figured that now would be the time to establish what it is we're doing here."

"I like you. A lot. It seems like the fact I have a daughter isn't scaring you away, which is amazing. My ex isn't in the picture in that capacity anymore. I want this to continue."

"I do, too. I guess that means we're dating, right?"

"I guess we are." Fallon sealed the deal with a passionate kiss.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: What if Fallon and Culhane were coparents to their two year old daughter? Falliam, with mentions of past Falhane

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is highly appreciated, but constructive criticism, please, and not just criticism :)

Chapter 2

The next several weeks of Fallon and Liam’s newly-formed relationship had gone really well. They’d gone on several more dates, she’d stay at his apartment several more times. Things were really great. They both really liked each other and could see their relationship going further. 

About a month a half into them officially being a couple, Fallon decided to broach the topic of Liam meeting her family. 

"So, we’ve only known each other for like two and a half months, and this might seem early, but I figured I would at least ask. My family is having dinner this weekend. My father and his new girlfriend, my brother and his husband, my other brother and his girlfriend, my cousins, and my daughter will all be there. I know that may seem like a lot of people, but it’s really not, compared to how big the house is and how many places there are to hide. How would you feel if you came with me to the dinner?" Fallon asked, testing the waters.

"I would say you’re right, it does seem early." Liam started.

"So you don’t want to go?" 

"I think it’s early, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to go. I understand that your family is important, especially your daughter. If you feel like it’s time for me to meet them, and meet her, then I will."

"Really?" Fallon had a surprised smile on her face. 

"Yeah, really." Liam sealed the deal with a chaste kiss and a heartfelt smile. 

"Good. Now, just so you’re prepared for Saturday, I’m gonna give you a little rundown of my family."

"Should I be worried? Is this gonna be some more straight-out-of-a-Hallmark-movie drama?"

"Probably, yeah. What can I say? Rich people live for drama."

"Fair enough. Do your worst." 

"So, you already know about my dad, and about the fire that killed his wife. Well, about six months ago, he met Cristal’s best friend. Cristal’s real name was Celia Machado. Celia paid her new friend in Mexico in exchange for her name. Celia Machado became Cristal Flores. Anyway, six months ago, the real Cristal, who’s last name is now Jennings, came to the manor. She and my father hit it off almost immediately. They’re dating, and she’s pregnant."

"So Cristal number one is actually Celia, and Cristal number two is actually Cristal, right?"

"Yes, right."

"Ok, got it. Keep going."

"Ok, so my brother and his husband. My brother’s name is Steven and his husband’s name is Sam. Sam is Celia’s nephew. Celia died just a few hours after they got married. Anyway, Sam is basically a stereotypically gay guy, and my brother is not. He’s not super masculine like you, but he’s much less feminine than Sam. They compliment each other well. Currently, they have a surrogate who’s almost 5 months pregnant. They’ll be parents soon, making me an aunt. My baby got to have the spotlight for a little over a year and a half, but her time has passed."

"So, Sam and Steven. Married for a year and are gonna be parents soon. Got it. Who’s next?"

"My other brother Adam and his girlfriend Kirby, who also happens to be one of my closest friends. So, Adam was kidnapped at six months old. His existence was kept a secret from Steven and I until two years ago. He came to the manor from Montana, and after several bumps along the way, he weaseled his way back into the family. Kirby is the daughter of the manor’s resident butler, although he doesn’t like to be called a butler. Kirby and Steven are half siblings, as they share the same father."

"Your mom had an affair with that butler?" Liam asked, as if this news should shock him. 

"Yes, she did, and she never told anyone. Anders was forced to spill when Sam and Steven got genetic testing done while they were starting the IVF process. Anyway, so Adam and I are full siblings, and Steven is our half brother. Adam and Kirby have been dating for a few months."

"So, big brother Adam, your only full sibling, is dating Kirby, who’s the butler’s daughter and the half sister of your half brother. Got it."

"And then there’s Monica and Jeff Colby. The Colby family used to be rivals with the Carringtons. We hated them and they hated us. Well, I was close friends with the kids, but our fathers hated each other. Turns out, the Colby’s are related to us. Their mother is my father’s half sister. Anyway, so about 4 years ago, Culhane and I took a break. I started getting closer to Jeff. We dated and he proposed. It wasn’t until the day of the wedding that we found out we were cousins."

"You almost married your cousin?" Liam actually was shocked by this one. 

"It’s definitely not my proudest moment, but it’s not like either of us knew we were cousins. My father just decided to omit that tidbit until about an hour before we were supposed to get married. I went back to Culhane a few months later."

"And now you’re with me, so I guess it doesn’t really matter anymore." Liam affirmed, leaning in towards her and placing a sweet kiss on her lips. Fallon smiled into the kiss and deepened it. 

"Exactly. Now, Monica is my best friend, and my half cousin. There’s a chance her and Jeff’s mother could come, but I’m hoping that’s not the case. Dominique is the definition of drama, and it’s a surprise her step daughter isn’t. That step daughter, who’s more so her daughter than Monica is, is named Vanessa. Vanessa and Culhane are dating. If Dominique comes to the dinner, Vanessa will probably be with her, meaning so will Culhane. Like I said, I’m hoping none of that happens."

"Is Culhane a good guy?"

"Yeah, he’s a great guy. I’m happy he’s my daughter’s father. He’s a great guy, but it would be extremely awkward for you and him to meet, at the same time you’re meeting the rest of my family and our daughter."

"It would be fine if he did come. This whole situation is something I’ve never experienced, so it’ll probably be awkward anyway."

"Are you really sure you want to go? It’s really ok for you to say no."

"Honestly, I think it would be better if I met your daughter and Culhane first. If I’m not a good fit with them, then it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to meet the rest of your family. If a two year old and her father don’t like me, then I doubt the rest of your family would."

"You’re probably right. For the record, my daughter is really shy, but if she likes someone, she will make it known. She hates Adam, and she makes it known. She screams and runs away whenever he’s around. She gives him death glares if he’s in the room. She loves Monica and Sam, though. Monica was the third person to hold her, me and Culhane being the first and second. Sam was the fourth. Those three are like the three musketeers. Monica and Sam aren’t super close, but it’s like they’ve known each other forever when Bell’s around. Bell loves the family she has, with the exception of Adam, of course. It takes her a while to warm up to people, but she’s a sweet kid. She has a kind heart and cares about the people she loves. I’m sure she will love you." Fallon smiled up at Liam and thought for a moment before she said her next words. "I know I do."

"What?" Liam asked, as if he hadn’t heard what Fallon had said.

"I love you. You’re one of the best people I’ve ever known. You’re kind, and sweet, and funny. You’re thoughtful and extremely talented. You’re willing to be in a relationship with someone who has more flaws than can be counted. I have a daughter, which is a whole big thing in and of itself. I love you."

Liam didn’t say anything, which made Fallon start to think she’d said all the wrong things, but then he did speak. 

"I love you, too. I love you and all your flaws. You are worth all of the crazy that comes with you."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: What if Fallon and Culhane were coparents to their two year old daughter? Falliam, with mentions of past Falhane

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of the Kudos and Hits on this story. They're much appreciated :)

Chapter 3

Saturday’s dinner at the Carrington Manor came and went. Fallon and Liam had agreed she would go by herself, and they’d have dinner with Culhane and Bellamy the following week. After the dinner, Fallon went over to Liam’s apartment with leftovers, not wanting to wait to tell him all of the crazy drama that had unfolded. 

“Hey. How was your dinner?” Liam asked, as he opened the door and let Fallon in. Fallon took off her coat and heels, sat down on the couch, and then answered Liam’s question. 

“It was the most drama I’ve witnessed in a long time.” Fallon answered, letting out an exasperated sigh.

"What happened? And what’s in the box?" He asked, pointing to the dish in Fallon’s hand. 

"Leftovers. You can have it, if you want. It’s chicken alfredo prepared by the private chef at the Manor."

"Thanks. I haven’t eaten anything, so I guess I’ll eat this." Liam took the dish, popped it in the fridge, and then sat back down next to Fallon. "So, what happened? And should I be regretting the fact that I didn’t go, or should I feel lucky?"

"You should definitely feel lucky. It was a nightmare. My mother came back. After over a decade of complete radio silence, she finally decided to come back."

"How do you feel about her coming back?"

"I don’t even know how to feel. She just showed up at the Manor, like everyone was supposed to go back to where we left off. She’s been gone for a decade! How are we just supposed to get over it?"

"I don’t know. If it were my mom, I don’t think I would get over it. I’m not saying you should or shouldn’t, though."

"What’s worse is Steven didn’t seem surprised at all to see her. It’s like he knew she was coming.”

“Maybe he did. Just because she cut off contact with you, doesn’t mean she did with anyone else. I’m assuming you stopped trying to contact her a while ago, but maybe Steven didn’t stop. Or maybe he just expected her to come back eventually.”

“I just don’t understand why he would be talking to her and not tell me. Since I was born, Steven and I have been tied at the hip. When we were kids, we would do everything together. When he left for college, I was the only one he talked to. When he went through his drug bender around the time Bell was born, I checked him into rehab, having only given birth a week prior. When he relapsed six months after getting out of rehab, I checked him into rehab again. He tells me everything, and I tell him everything. I don’t understand why he would keep the fact that he was in contact with our mother from me.”

“Well, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe he had no idea she was coming back, but just didn’t seem shocked.”

"I’m having dinner with him and Sam tomorrow night to talk about what happened. Hopefully I can figure out what the truth is."

"You don’t want me to go to that, right?"

"I didn’t think you’d want to, so I wasn’t going to ask. Do you want to go?"

"I wouldn’t be opposed to it."

"I thought you wanted to meet Bell and Culhane before you met the rest of my family?"

"I still do want to meet Bell and Culhane before the rest of your family, but maybe meeting Sam and Steven wouldn’t be so bad. Do you think they’ll like me?"

"I do. Sam and Steven are my best friends, and they try their best to like anyone I like, or love."

"Ok, good. So, do you wanna keep talking about what happened, or do you wanna do something else?"

"I wanna keep talking about what happened. I just really need to get this off my chest."

"Ok."

"So, it was like halfway through dinner when she was let in by one of the staff. She strutted her way into the dinner room, acting like she owned the place, which she never did, by the way. The Manor has always belonged to my father and her name was never on the deed. Anyway, my father asked her what the hell she was doing there, and she said, and I quote, ‘that’s not a way to greet me. I’ve been gone for ten years.’ Like, what the hell is wrong with her? When nobody answered her, she walked around to Steven, gave him a hug, introduced herself to Sam, and then walked over to Adam. She knew almost immediately who he was, and then put on some obviously fake waterworks and gave him a gigantic hug. She scoffed at Kirby, hugged Anders, gave a cold ‘hello’ to Dominique, touched Cristal’s hair, kissed my father’s cheek, and tried to pinch Bellamy’s cheeks. I shoved her hands away before she could even lay a finger on Bell. I was the last person she greeted, and all she gave me was a weak ‘hello, dear.’ I hated my mother before, but now I hate her ten times more. First she tried to touch my baby, and then all she gave me was a weak greeting after now seeing me for ten years."

"I’m really sorry, Fal."

"I don’t know exactly what I was expecting, anyway. I guess a small part of me was hoping things could be picked up where they were left when she came back. I hoped my daughter would one day get to meet her grandma. Culhane’s mom is great, but she and I have never gotten along. My mom and I have never had a great relationship, but I guess I thought maybe ten years of space would break all of the ice between us. I should just accept the fact that I’m not the type of person any mother likes, even my own."

"Oh, Fallon." Liam moved closer to Fallon and wrapped his arms around her. She leans into his chest, and within a few minutes he can feel his shirt being soaked with her tears. "Please don’t cry." Liam didn’t exactly know what to do. It had been years since someone had cried in his arms. The last person to cry in his arms was his ex, and the last thing he could remember her crying about was not getting an all vegan meal at a restaurant. She would never actually cry about real problems. "This is not your fault. This is your mother’s fault, and here’s alone. She left you. This is on her, not you. And the good thing is you can break this cycle with Bellamy. Just by the way you talk about her I can tell you’re a good mom. Bell is lucky to have you. I’m lucky to have you. I love you, Fallon." Liam placed a sweet kiss on the crown of Fallon’s head and ran a comforting hand up and down her back. 

After several minutes of them cuddling on the couch, Liam felt Fallon’s body go limp. He looked down and discovered she had fallen asleep. He pressed a short kiss to her forehead before scooping her up into his arms and taking her to the bedroom. He laid her down on the bed, stripped down to his boxers, and laid down next to her. Within five minutes, they were both sleeping peacefully.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: What if Fallon and Culhane were coparents to their two year old daughter? Falliam, with mentions of past Falhane

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant for this to go out a few days ago, but where I live, we're dealing with a snow/ice storm, mass power outages, water loss, and the wifi doesn't work very well. I'm currently working on chapter 5, so it should be out soon. I hope you all like this story so far. I plan on adding more of the canon storylines in soon. Fallon and Liam's first fight will show up soon, i.e. their first fight in the show about Liam's book. Please leave suggestions for possible storylines. I know I might be new here, but I really try to listen to the reviews, even if I might not respond directly. Anyway, enjoy :) -Ashley

Chapter 4

Waking up the next morning in Liam’s bed was a surprise for Fallon. She barely remembered even going to his apartment the night before. She remembered having dinner at the Manor, something about her mother, drinking a lot of wine, and handing Liam a box of food. Everything after that was extremely hazy.

"Good morning. How did you sleep?" Liam greeted, as he walked out of the bathroom. 

"I guess well. My head hurts and my mouth feels like a cotton ball. I don’t really remember coming here last night." Fallon responded.

"You came over here last night after dinner with your family. You told me about your mom showing up and how upset you were about that. You told me that you thought Steven knew something about her coming back. You said you’re having dinner with Sam and Steven tonight and you’re gonna talk to him about it. We talked about me going to said dinner to meet Sam and Steven. After you finished telling me what happened last night, you leaned against my chest and fell asleep. I carried you to bed."

"I should probably go home. I’ve gotta go get a few extra hours of sleep and take a shower."

"I made breakfast. It’s ok if you don’t want it, but I kinda made it just for you."

"What did you make?" Fallon asked, her interest peaking.

"French toast, bacon, and strawberry smoothies."

"That actually sounds really good. I guess I’ll stay for a while longer."

Liam gave Fallon a quick kiss before walking out to the kitchen to get the breakfast.

"Breakfast, water, and ibuprofen for the headache." Liam listed, placing a tray with all of the items on Liam’s lap.

"Thank you." Fallon quickly took a couple pills before diving into her breakfast. 

After breakfast, Liam and Fallon had a little midday dessert (wink). Around 1pm, Fallon finally made it back to her apartment. 

After several hours spent sleeping, showering, and getting ready, Fallon headed back to Liam’s apartment to pick him up for dinner. 

"You look really pretty, Fal." Liam complemented, after opening the door to his apartment. She was wearing a navy blue, ankle-length cocktail dress with thin straps, paired with black wedges. Her hair was braided and in a half up, half down style. 

"Thanks. You don’t look so bad yourself." Fallon responded. Liam was wearing a pair of black slacks and a dark red dress shirt. 

"We should go, right?" As much as Liam would love to let Fallon in and rip off the beautiful blue dress, they had a dinner to attend. 

"Yeah, let’s go. I’ll drive." 

Within 30 minutes, the two made it to Steven and Sam’s house. The house was a mansion, of course, but not nearly as big as the Manor. It had eight bedrooms, six and a half bathrooms, and a huge yard, equipped with an Olympic-sized swimming pool and a massive jacuzzi. 

"Does anyone in your family have a normal-sized house? I mean, I haven’t been to the Manor yet, but you make it seem like a palace." Liam asked, as they walked up to the front door. 

"Michael has a modest two bedroom apartment in the city. I guess he’s the only one in the family that doesn’t own a mansion. Adam and Kirby are currently in the process of buying a house close to the Manor. Monica and Jeff live at Jeff’s mansion. Even Anders has a five bedroom loft that he rents out for extra cash."

"Why don’t you have a mansion?"

"I don’t really see the point of buying a big house yet. Culhane and I were comfortable at his apartment for the whole time we lived together. After we broke up, I just didn’t see the point in buying a whole mansion for a toddler and myself."

"There are other houses in Atlanta that aren’t mansions."

"I know that, but for now, Bell and I are good at the Manor. She’s only with me for half of the time, anyway. And I’ve been spending quite a few nights at your apartment, so it’s not like I’m at the Manor that often, anyway."

"You don’t have to try and convince me why living in your father’s house is great. I don’t feel one way or the other about it. It was just a simple question."

"I will move one day, but for now, I’m good where I am."

"Good. Now, let’s go. I’m hungry and eager to meet your brothers." 

Fallon gave a wide smile as they walked into the mansion through the huge French doors. 

"Babe! Fallon and her new boo are here!" Sam called out to his husband, as Fallon and Liam walked in. 

"He has a name, Sam." Fallon said, faking disappointment. 

"I know, but new boo is so much better."

"I prefer bae over boo, but that’s just me." Liam joked. 

"Ok, well, it’s nice to meet you new bae Liam. I’m Sam." Sam greeted, reaching his hand out to shake Liam’s.

"It’s nice to meet you, too.” Liam reciprocated, shaking Sam’s hand. 

Steven walked down, greeted Sam, and before they knew it, the four of them were sitting down to dinner. 

"What can I get you to drink, Ms. Carrington?" The staff member asked Fallon.

"Um, water." Fallon responded.

"Water? You’re not pregnant, right?" Sam asked, mostly joking. 

"God, no. I’m definitely not pregnant. I just had a lot to drink last night, and I don’t really want a repeat of it tonight."

"Would it really be a horrible thing if you were pregnant? You love Bell." Steven asked, slightly confused as to why Fallon seemed so against the idea of pregnancy being brought up.

"I love Bell, but I did not love being pregnant with her. I was sick for the first six months, I had to go to the hospital four times, and she was almost two weeks late. Plus, Liam and I have only been dating for two months. It’s way too early to even be thinking about moving in together, let alone having a baby." Fallon explained, slightly surprising herself with thinking about the idea of having a kid with Liam. She thought she would hate the idea, but saying it out loud made her realize maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing. 

"Sam and I only dated for four months before he officially moved in. And then we were engaged a month later."

"Yeah, and you were broken up for six months after that. I thought Culhane and I were gonna spend our lives together. It’s gonna take me awhile to jump back into a relationship again."

"Then what are we doing here, Fallon?" Liam asked, clearly frustrated with what Fallon had said. 

"I love you, Liam. You know that. One day, I would love to move in together and start a family, but we’ve only been dating for two months. The idea of moving in together, getting engaged, and having kids is really overwhelming. Bell’s only two. I’m nowhere near ready for more kids. I mean, there’s gonna be two new babies in the family in only a few short months. I’m happy with where we’re at right now. Aren’t you?" Fallon was a little embarrassed about having the conversation in front of Steven and Sam, but this conversation apparently couldn’t wait until after the dinner was over. 

"Yeah, I am happy, but you make it seem like it’s gonna be years before you’re even ready to move in together."

"I didn’t say that. I don’t even know what’s gonna happen next week, let alone in the next few years. I’d like to take things somewhat slow. That doesn’t mean things won’t progress, but maybe we shouldn’t take everything so fast. I don’t want to be engaged within six months. My last engagement failed and I don’t want that to happen again." Fallon turned back to look at Steven and Sam. "Taking things fast might’ve worked out in the end for you two, but I don’t want that."

"Sorry I brought it up, Fal." Steven apologized, hoping he hadn’t just messed up his sister’s budding relationship. 

"It’s fine. Can we just get to the eating part of this dinner?"

The rest of dinner was spent mostly in silence. Small talk was made, mostly about Liam, but no other big conversations were brought up. Fallon had wanted to bring up her mother, but after the first conversation, she figured it wasn’t the right time.

Just as they were finishing up with dinner, the devil herself walked in through the front door. 

"Dear? What’s for dinner?" Alexis asked, stopping when she walked into the dinning room. "Oh. I didn’t realize you had company."

"What the hell is she doing here?" Fallon asked, trying to keep her anger at bay. 

"She didn’t have anywhere to stay, so we told her she could stay here." Steven explained. 

"By the looks of it, she’s probably been staying here for much longer than one night. How long, Steven?"

"Fallon." Sam started, before getting cut off by Fallon. 

"How long?" Fallon asked, louder than the last time. 

"A month. She’s been here for a month." Steven answered, letting out a sigh. 

"A month! Are you kidding me?"

"I’m sorry, Fallon. She called me about two months ago, saying she wanted to come back. I told her it would be a good idea. I thought you would like having her back. I guess I was wrong."

"You are unbelievable, Steven. She left us for ten damn years. She calls you after ten years and you think it’s ok to just let her back with open arms?"

"She’s our mother, Fallon! What was I supposed to do?"

"Tell her to go fuck herself! That’s practically what she did when we left us."

"Fallon! I might’ve been gone for awhile, but I am still your mother." Alexis scolded, as if Fallon was still a child. 

"Shut up, bitch! You might’ve birthed me, but you lost the right to being my mom when you left us."

"Fallon!" Steven scolded, shocked at what Fallon had said. 

"You know what? I’m done. I’m done with all of this. This family still treats me like I am a child. I’m always the last to know anything. Newsflash, I’m 25 and I have a child of my own. I don’t need to be babied and I don’t need things to be sugarcoated."

"Fallon, I’m sorry. I never meant for things to go this way, but it just happened." Steven knew apologizing probably wasn’t going to fix anything, but he didn’t know what else to say.

"I’m done, Steven. Have a good life and stay away from mine." And with that, Fallon walked out the dining room, Liam following closely behind.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: What if Fallon and Culhane were coparents to their two year old daughter? Falliam, with mentions of past Falhane

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it’s been awhile, but when I started this story, I did say my updates would probably be irregular. Anyway, here’s chapter 5. I’m posting chapter 6 today, too.

Chapter 5

"Fallon, please slow down." Liam called, as she quickly rushed back to the car.

"I just want to get out of here." Fallon responded, not slowing down.

Liam jogged to catch up to her and had to stand in front of her to get her to stop walking. 

"Fallon, can we please just talk for a minute?"

"Fine." Fallon relented, letting out a small sigh. 

"I’m really sorry about what happened in there. I know you trusted them and they lied to you. And I’m sorry I almost started a fight. I get that it’s still very early in our relationship, and you have Bell to worry about. I know that, and I wasn’t thinking, I guess. And even though it’s still early on in our relationship, I can’t help but think about the life we could have. I want us to move in together, and have a life with you."

"I’m not mad at you, Liam. I want us to have a life together, too. I really do, but I don’t want us to rush into things and have something go wrong. I can’t just fall for someone, trust them with my heart and my daughter, and have things not work out. For now, you still have to meet Bell and Culhane. I’m praying that won’t be as disastrous as this was."

"With a two year old, I’m sure something will go wrong."

"I guess we’ll see. Now, can we please go? I really don’t want them coming after me."

"Yes, let’s go. I’ll drive." Fallon didn’t feel a need to argue and handed the keys to Liam. 

That night, Fallon decided to stay over again. She didn’t feel like dealing with her father that would’ve almost definitely have heard about what happened from Steven. 

Over the next few weeks, Fallon stayed at Liam’s more often. She would spend her nights with him, and her days with Bellamy. She’d be there to see Bell off to sleep, and then she’d go to Liam’s and spend the night. She and Liam had had dinner with Culhane and Bellamy, and it had gone very well. Culhane and Liam got along well, and Bellamy loved Liam when he offered to play Barbies with her. 

A few months later, Fallon and Liam had been dating for six months. Liam and Culhane got along well, Bellamy loved Liam and started calling him papa, and Fallon fell more in with him everyday. 

"Hey, babe. What’s up?" Liam greeted, as he let her and Bell into his apartment. 

"Sam just called me. Their surrogate had the baby. They’re dads." Fallon said, skipping pleasantries. 

"Ok. Are you gonna go meet the baby?" Liam asked, hugging Bell and then sending her off to go play with her toys. 

"I don’t know if I should. I haven’t talked to either of them since that dinner. I’m still furious with them for lying to me. I don’t even know if I want to be an aunt to their child."

"This isn’t exactly a decision I can make for you, Fal."

"I know that. I do, but I was hoping you could at least help me make my decision."

"I can try, but ultimately, you have to decide what you want to do."

Fallon walked over to the couch and chucked her shoes off. Liam followed close behind her and sat down next to her. 

"I’m sure their baby’s cute and I’m sure I’d be a great aunt, but I don’t know if I can forgive them. They lied to me about my own mother. She was staying with them for a month. It took her crashing dinner at the Manor for them to finally tell me the truth."

"I’m not taking their side, but they did apologize. Multiple times. I don’t think it’s them you should be mad with. Your mother is the one that left you for ten years. It’s your mother’s fault."

"I don’t think there’s anyway I will ever have a conversation with Alexis again, let alone forgive her. With Steven and Sam, I don’t know. I’m still mad, but ultimately I’m far madder with my mother than with them."

"So, are you gonna talk to them and go meet your niece or nephew?"

"I guess I am. And I’d like it if you could go with me."

"I have a deadline to meet really soon, but I can try."

"I want to go talk to them today, so are you free today?"

"I am."

"Good, because I already told Sam that we were coming over."

"Fallon! What was the point of telling me if you already made your decision?" Liam asked, confused and amused. 

"I wanted to make sure it was the right decision, and I wanted to ask you to come with me."

"You already knew my answer would be yes."

"I know, but I figured I’d at least ask."

"What time are we going over there?"

"We didn’t really set a time. I guess we could go over there now."

"What about Bell? Are we dropping her off with Culhane?"

"No. Culhane and Vanessa are on vacation this week. She’ll be with us full time until next Sunday. I’m sure Sam and Steven would like to see her, anyway."

"Ok. Let’s go." 

About 30 minutes later, the three of them were pulling up to Steven and Sam’s house. 

"Are you ready to be an aunt?" Liam asked, as they stood in front of the door. 

"As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess." Fallon affirmed, taking Liam’s hand in her free hand. 

They walked in and spotted Steven and Sam with the baby in the living room. 

"Fallon, Liam. I’m surprised you came." Steven said, standing up to greet them. 

"Yeah, I’m a little surprised, too, but here we are." Fallon responded, putting Bell down. 

"I’m really glad you came. And again, we’re really sorry. I’m really sorry. I should’ve told you about mom staying here. For the record, she’s gone. She left two months ago. I haven’t talked to her since."

"I’m not shocked. She can’t even face her problems for a few months before she’s rushing off to whatever hole she crawled out of. If she doesn’t want to get to know her grandchildren, it’s her loss. Have Blake and Cristal been over yet?"

"No. I wanted you to meet your niece first."

"Niece? You have a daughter?"

"We do. A baby girl. She’s beautiful." Steven led them in further into the living room and gestured for them to sit down. They did so, and Sam handed Fallon the newborn. 

"She’s cute. What’s her name?" Fallon asked, staring down at her adorable niece. It was clear she was biologically Sam’s. She was practically a female clone of him. 

"Callista Celia Morell Carrington." Steven answered, a big smile on his face. 

"Callista? It’s cute. I think it’s the perfect name for her.” 

“We’ll call her Cece, for short.”

Staring down at the baby, made Fallon realize she might be ready for another one. She and hadn’t really talked about it, seeing as they’d only been in a relationship for six months, but he was so good with Bellamy. Fallon could see their kids running around. They’d have platinum blonde hair and bright blue eyes. They’d have his smile, and her sassiness. Bell would be such a good big sister. 

“Fal?” Fallon was pulled out of her thoughts by Liam’s voice. 

“What?” Fallon asked, acting as if she hadn’t spaced out for nearly a minute. 

“You didn’t blink or move for almost a minute. Are you ok?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I was just thinking.” Fallon decided to omit what it was she was thinking about. “Here. You can hold her.” Fallon passed the baby off to Liam, hoping the thoughts would go away if she wasn’t staring at a newborn. Liam carefully took the baby in his arms and stared down at her. Fallon secretly hoped he was thinking about having more kids, too. He wasn’t, though. 

Liam and Fallon hadn’t really talked about kids. Liam was pretty sure he knew where Fallon stood on kids, considering she already had one. He was fairly certain Fallon had no idea where he stood, and that’s the way he wanted it. The truth was, he didn’t want kids, at least not kids that were biologically his. He loved Bell, but she wasn’t his kid, and he liked it that way. His family was crazy. He never wanted to carry his bloodline down. His sister had, and he got a niece out of it, but he didn’t want to be responsible for bringing another spoiled VanKirk heir into the world. He wanted to get married, eventually, and he’d be more than happy to be Bellamy’s step-dad, but that’s all he wanted to be: a step-dad. 

Unfortunately for Fallon, her thoughts were only made worse when she handed Cece off to Liam. All she could think about was how hot Liam looked while holding a newborn and how lovingly he stared down at her. Fallon wanted a baby with Liam. She didn’t know when that thought had manifested itself, and she wasn’t entirely sure it hadn’t manifested itself in the past five minutes, but the thought was there to stay. 

"Are you sure you’re ok, Fallon?" This time, Steven asked. 

"I’m fine. Nothing is wrong with me." Fallon responded, trying to convince herself that this was the truth. 

"Then why do you keep spacing out?" Sam asked, following the same mindset as his husband.

"I don’t know. I’m tired, I guess. It’s really not that big of a deal."

"Do you wanna go home, Fal?" Liam asked. 

"No. I’m fine. Just please stop pestering and focus on the baby. Let Bell hold her cousin." Fallon wanted everyone’s attention taken off of her. 

"Bella, do you wanna hold the baby?" Sam asked the toddler. 

"Baby." Bell parroted, reaching her hands out. 

"Ok. Babe, can you put her on the couch?" Steven picked Bellamy up and put her on the couch. He sat down next to Bell and gestured for Sam to hand him Cece. 

"Baby." Bell repeated, as Steven carefully placed the baby in her arms. 

"Can you say Cece? Baby Cece."

"Cece." Bell parroted, smiling up at Sam, who was taking several pictures to go along with the ones he’d taken of Fallon and Liam with the newborn. 

"This is your cousin. You two are going to be best friends. You’ll play together, and go to school together. You’ll be like sisters." Steven explained, staring down at his adorable niece and newborn. 

In that moment, Fallon hated what Steven had said. Bell wouldn’t need Callista to be her sister. Bell would have sisters and brothers of her own. She wouldn’t need her cousins to be her only siblings.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: What if Fallon and Culhane were coparents to their two year old daughter? Falliam, with mentions of past Falhane

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have chapter 7 written, and I’ll probably post it in a few days. Enjoy :) -Ashley

Chapter 6

Over the next few weeks, there was a shift in Fallon and Liam’s relationship. Liam was the same, but Fallon wasn’t. She was distant. She used to come over every day, multiple times a day, but that stopped. Liam was lucky if he saw Fallon and Bell twice a week. Liam was starting to believe he’d done something wrong. He was starting to believe they were drifting apart and that it was only a matter of time before she was breaking up with him. 

About a month and a half after Callista was born, Liam’s book was finally finished and set to come out. Liam was nervous to ask Fallon to go to the book launch with him, but he knew she’d be mad if she wanted to go and he didn’t at least ask. 

"Hey, so you know my book’s coming out this week, right?" Liam started, as he and Fallon had together for the first time in a while.

"Mhm." Fallon mumbled halfheartedly, picking at her food. 

"Do you wanna come with me to the launch?" 

"Do you want me to come?"

Liam let out a sigh. Fallon had been doing this routine of barely speaking and then deflecting everything. Liam hadn’t pushed it, but he was getting tired. He felt like the limited amount of conversations they had were mostly him talking to himself. 

"Fallon, I want to know what’s wrong. Has this past month and a half been your way of distancing yourself to break up with me? If this really isn’t working, then it’s ok to just tell me. Is that what is happening here?"

Fallon set down her fork and stared down at her lap. She ran her hand through her hair, before looking back up at Liam. 

"I don’t want to break up. That’s not what this has been."

"Then what is it? Because I feel like I’m becoming slowly more single everyday. I just want you to talk to me and tell me what’s wrong."

"I want a baby." Fallon blurted out, immediately regretting saying anything when she saw the look on his face. 

"What?" Liam asked, sounding as if the wind had been knocked out of him. 

"Meeting Callista and seeing you with her made me realize how much I want another kid. With you."

Liam didn’t say anything for a long while. He just stared at her, and she stared back. No one said anything, until they did. 

"I don’t want kids, Fallon. Not with you and not with anyone."

Fallon looked at him as if he’d just slapped her. He might as well have, as far as Fallon was concerned. She felt as though he’d just ripped out her heart and stepped on it. This whole life she’d envisioned for them suddenly crumbled away in her mind. She wanted a family with him. She wanted a life with him. She thought he wanted that, too, but she was wrong. She felt so stupid to have believed their relationship would ever work. Liam was way too good for her. She didn’t deserve him. 

"Ok. I’m just gonna go. I’ll be back to pick up my stuff later." She responded, way too calmly. She go up from her chair, placed the napkin on the table, and started walking towards the door. 

"Where are you going, Fallon?" Liam asked, stopping her in her tracks. 

"I can’t continue to be in this relationship if the end doesn’t look the same for both of us. I want marriage and kids. I’m want a family. You don’t. That’s fine for you, but not for me." Fallon explained, turning around to face him. 

Abruptly, Liam got up from his chair and walked into the bedroom. Fallon could hear him rustling around for something, and she was almost about to leave, when he came back out with something in his hand. 

"I never said I didn’t want marriage and a family, Fallon. Hell, I’ve had this ring for nearly three months." Liam started, holding up a red velvet box. "I want a family with you, but a family doesn’t have to mean kids. You have a daughter. She’s beautiful, and smart, and amazing. I love her. I love her like she’s my own, even though she’s not. And I’m happy she’s not actually mine. I don’t want kids, Fallon. I don’t want to be a dad. I don’t want kids running around with my last name. I don’t want kids running around with their DNA being half mine. I’m happy being a step dad to Bellamy and an uncle to Callista and my niece, Emily. I don’t want to be a dad, but I do want to be a husband. I want to be your husband." 

"I don’t know what to say." Fallon answered, barely above a whisper. 

"You don’t have to say anything, if you don’t want to. If this speech and the ring didn’t change your mind, that’s ok. I’m ok if you still want to leave. I get it. But I’m really hoping you’ll stay, so we can talk about this."

Fallon let out a sigh. She was conflicted. She had no idea what she was supposed to do. She loved Liam, that much she knew, but she didn’t know if she could spend the rest of her life being in love with someone who didn’t want the same things she did.

"I just want to know why. I want to know why you don’t want kids. Can you not have kids? Are you infertile? Does some horrible genetic disease run in your family that you could be a carrier for? I want to know why." 

"I know I don’t talk about my family a lot, and there’s a reason. My family is crazy. Crazier than yours. I don’t want an innocent child to be condemned to a life of craziness. I want my family’s gene pool to end with me. I don’t want to be responsible for throwing another rich brat into the world."

Fallon wasn’t expecting his answer, and she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t offended. She wanted kids for the exact opposite reason. She wanted to break the cycle that had been created in her family. She thought she could do that with Liam, but she’d been wrong. 

"I can’t do this, Liam. I love you, but I can’t spend the rest of my life with someone who doesn’t want the things I want. My daughter deserves siblings. I deserve to be a mom to more than just one kid. I want to have kids with the love of my life, and I thought you were it, but I guess I was wrong."

"I’m sorry, Fallon. I really am."

"Yeah. Me too." And with that, Fallon turned around and left, leaving Liam standing there, staring at the door, with an engagement ring that she would never get to wear. He couldn’t help but feel like he’d just made the biggest mistake of his life.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: What if Fallon and Culhane were coparents to their two year old daughter? Falliam, with mentions of past Falhane

Chapter 7

When Fallon left Liam’s apartment, she felt like she’d left a piece of her heart behind. She felt empty and numb. She didn’t know where she was supposed to go from there, or how she was supposed to move on with her life. She drove around for a while, until she finally picked a destination: Culhane’s apartment. She wanted to see her daughter, and she needed someone to talk to. 

"Fallon?" Culhane questioned, as he opened the door to see a crying Fallon on his doorstep. 

Fallon opened her mouth to talk, but nothing came out. 

"Come in. I’ll get you some water so you can calm down and explain what’s wrong." Culhane stepped aside to let her in, and then closed the door. She sat down on the couch, while he grabbed her a glass of water. 

Fallon took a few gulps of water and then a few deep breaths. She wiped her eyes, for sure making herself like a panda. After she’d calmed down enough, she explained what was going on. 

"Liam and I just broke up." Fallon squeaked out, staring down at her lap. 

"What? Why?" Culhane asked, genuinely curious as to why she’d let Liam go. 

"I told him that I want kids. He said he doesn’t. I can’t spend the rest of my life with him. We don’t want the same things in life. I love him, but I think a part of me would always hate him for not wanting kids."

"You have a kid, Fallon. She’s out driving around with Vanessa because she was too fussy to be put down for bed."

"I want kids with him, Michael. I want a family with him. A life with him. Having shared custody of our kid isn’t what I want for me and him."

"I’m sorry, Fallon. I know everything feels like it’s all falling apart right now, but it’ll all be ok."

"Maybe you were my one great love, and I’m not meant to have anymore." Fallon mumbled, self-deprecatingly. 

"So I get to have two, and you only get one? How is that fair?" 

"I don’t know. Life isn’t fair. You got lucky, I guess."

"Maybe you made the wrong choice, Fallon. Maybe you should just go home and sleep it off, before you start diving any further into this."

"I broke up with him. It’s over. We had something, I loved him, and now it’s over. Time isn’t going to fix anything. Time can’t heal all of the world’s gaping wounds."

"Ok. I’m sure you’ll find someone else. You’re beautiful, and smart, and accomplished. Any guy would be lucky to have you."

Fallon lightly nodded and stared down at her half empty glass of water.

"I’ll go once Vanessa and Bell get back. I wanna help tuck Bell in."

"Ok. I can keep her the next few days, if you need me to."

"It’s fine. I’ll be back tomorrow to pick her up. I’d rather have her with me. It’ll keep my mind off of missing him."

"I really am sorry, Fallon. Liam was a good guy and he really seemed to like you and Bell."

"It’s not your fault, Culhane. Life just sucks sometimes."

They say in silence for a few more minutes, until Vanessa came back with a sleeping Bellamy in her arms. 

"She’s finally asleep. Oh, Fallon. You’re here." Vanessa said, slightly confused. 

"It’s a long story. I’ll tuck Bell in and then I’ll go." Fallon took Bellamy from Vanessa and walked to her room. Once Fallon carefully tucked Bell into her toddler bed, she pressed a sweet kiss to her forehead and whispered an ‘I love you’. "I’ll be back around 10 to pick her up tomorrow." Fallon said quickly to Culhane, before leaving. 

Once she got back to her car, she just sat there, having no idea where to go. She didn’t want to go back to the Manor. She hadn’t really lived there for months, and then went back after Callista was born. The only thing she really did there was sleep. 

She thought about Steven and Sam’s house, but she knew they were probably busy with Callista. She wasn’t close enough with Kirby and Adam to go to their new house. The only person that was left was Monica, which was technically Jeff’s house. 

"Hey, Fal. What’s up?" Monica asked, as she picked up Fallon’s call. 

"Can I stay at your house for a little bit until I find somewhere else?" Fallon asked. 

"Sure. Is there a reason? What’s wrong with the Manor?"

"Liam and I broke up. I’ll two you more about it later, but I just really didn’t want to go back to the Manor."

"Ok. You can come over. Jeff’s out of town for some guys’ trip and my mother is staying at Vanessa’s apartment. We’ll have the house to ourselves."

"Thanks. I’ll be over soon." Fallon hung up and quickly made her way over Monica and Jeff’s house.

"So, I just ordered food, wine, and ice cream. It’ll be here soon." Monica said instead of a greeting, as she opened the front door to let Fallon in. 

"Great." Fallon mumbled, walking in past Monica. 

They went to the living area in Monica’s side of the house and sat down on the large sectional. 

"Are you gonna tell me what happened?" Monica asked, not wanting to have any awkward silences between them. 

Fallon took a deep breath before answering. 

"I told Liam I wanted kids. He said he wants to be married to me, but he doesn’t want kids. He’s said he’s happy being an uncle and a step dad, but not having kids of his own. I can’t live the rest of my life with someone who doesn’t want the same things I do, so I broke up with him." Fallon explained, giving more details than she had to Culhane. 

"Did he give you a reason for not wanting kids?"

"He said his family is crazy, and he doesn’t want to be responsible for bringing another rich brat into the world. It’s not like I can blame him, exactly, but I want kids for the exact opposite. I want to break the cycle of rich brats in my crazy ass family. Having Bellamy with someone who wasn’t raised rich might help her not be so spoiled, but Culhane and I are long done. I loved him, but we’re much better off as friends and coparents. He and Vanessa will have some cute kids and Bellamy will get siblings, I’m sure, but I want more of my own. I want Liam and I to have at least one of our own."

"If you two didn’t have any kids of your own, would it really be the end of the world? I mean, think about it. You hated being pregnant with Bellamy. There were so many complications. Is it even possible for you to get pregnant again? You have Bellamy. Liam loves Bell, and loves him enough to call him Papa. He already treats her like his daughter. You have a beautiful niece, and knowing Sam and Steven, you’ll probably have plenty more nieces and nephews. Bellamy will most likely have siblings from Culhane and Vanessa. Plus, you’re about to become a sister again. You have and will have plenty of babies and children in your life."

"I feel like it’s me he doesn’t want kids with. He’s talked about his ex before, and he makes it seem like they were in it for the long haul until they weren’t. Maybe I’m the problem. I mean, he bought me a ring and was planning to propose. Maybe he’s scared that our kids will turn out to be rich brats like me."

"He bought a ring?"

"Yeah. He showed it to me right before I left. I think he thought it would get me to stay."

"He clearly wants marriage, Fallon. If it came down to him or kids, would you really give him up to have kids? You already have a child, Fallon."

"I want to choose him, but I don’t think I can be truly happy if we don’t have kids together."

"Were you and Culhane happy before Bellamy?"

"We were happier as a couple before her, but happier as individuals after she came."

"What’s to say things would be different if you and Liam and kids of your own? You two were really happy as a couple, but what if having a kid makes you realize you're happier apart? Then you’re stuck in the same situation you were before you met Liam, but now you have two kids and two people to share custody of your children with."

"I guess you have a point." Fallon usually hated admitting when other people were right, but she didn’t really care at this point. 

"I’m not saying that you should or shouldn’t get back together with him, because I want you to do what makes you happy. I just want you to think about what’s more important to you: him or hypothetical kids?"

"I just wish it was that easy."

"Who says it can’t be?"

"I don’t know. Maybe I just need more time to think about this."

Nobody said anything else, and was thankful when the food finally came. They ate, watched whatever mind-numbing show was on tv, and then called it a night. 

Fallon fell asleep asking herself if she’d just made the worst mistake of her life.


End file.
